Automatic pilot control and mounting therefor



Dec. 20, 1955 v. WEBER ETAL AUTOMATIC PILOT CONTROL AND MOUNTINGTHEREFOR Original Filed Feb. 1, 195] AUTOMATIC PILOT CONTROL ANDMOUNTING THEREFOR Victor Weber and William S. Kunzler, Greensburg, Pa.,assiguors to Robertshaw-Fulton Controls Company, Greensburg, Pa., acorporation of Delaware Original application February 1, 1951, SerialNo. 208,871. Digided and this application April 2, 1953, Serial No. 34,387

1 Claim. (Cl. 248-56) This application is a division of our copendingapplication Serial No. 208,871, filed February 1, 1951, now abandoned.

This invention relates to automatic pilot burner devices and moreparticularly to a gas pilot burner assembled as a unit with a thermalelement arranged to be heated by the pilot flame.

It is an object of this invention to facilitate assembly of the pilotburner and thermal element in correct relative positions without specialskill or the use of special tools.

Another object of this invention is to sirnplify'removal of the thermalelement without interference with the pilot burner.

Another object of this invention is to clamp a thermal element to apilot burner assembly without involving the application of compressiveor crushing forces to the thermal element.

With these and other objects in view, a bracket having a plurality ofapertures therein is provided with the apertures adapted to respectivelyreceive a pilot burner and a thermal element. Abutment means are carriedon the thermal element and are arranged to abut the bracket, being heldagainst the bracket by a clamp having a hooked end engageable with thebracket and means engageable with the clamp and bracket for securing theclamp against the abutment means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an automatic pilot burner device embodying thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the automatic pilot burnerdevice is shown as comprising a pilot burner component and a thermalelement 12 adapted to be mounted in substantially parallel relation withthe burner on a bracket 14.

The pilot burner component 10 comprises a tubular body portion 16 havingone end connected to a conduit 20 which communicates with a source ofgaseous fuel (not shown). The other end of the burner body 16 carries aburner tip 22 which is provided with an orifice 24 located on the axisthereof to project a jet of combustible gas-air mixture along the axisof the burner body 16 extended. The burner tip 22 may also include aplurality of orifices (not shown) adapted to project streams of gas-airmixture substantially normal to the axis of the burner body. To preventthe pilot flame from being accidentally extinguished, a pair of shieldmembers 26 of a type well known in the art are mounted on the burner tip22.

2,727,709 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 The medial portion of the burner body16 is provided with the usual Venturi (not shown) through which gaseousfuel flows to entrain air supplied through a plurality of orifices 28 tothus provide the aforementioned combustible gas-air mixture supplied tothe burner tip 22.-

Threaded on the medial portion of the burner body 16 is a pair of nuts30, 32 which abut opposite sides of the bracket 14 to secure the burnerbody rigidly thereto.

The thermal element 12 may be of any known type.

and is here shown as an expansible fluid filled element having the usualbulb 34, capillary tube 36, and expansible element 38. The bulb 34 ismounted to be exposed to a flame emanating from the burner tip 22 and,to this end, the capillary tube 36 is secured to the bracket 14. Thecapillary tube 36 is preferably enclosed over a portion of its length bya reinforcing sleeve 40 having a flange or collar 42 formed on its outerperiphery. The sleeve 40 extends through an aperture 44 formed in thebracket 14, the dimensions of the aperture 44 being such that passage ofthe collar 42 therethrough is prevented.

One face of the collar 42 is maintained in engagement with the bracket14 by a bifurcated clamp 46 which abuts the other face of the collar 42.The two legs of the bifurcated clamp 46 straddle the sleeve 40 and eachis provided with a hooked end portion 48 adapted to be hooked over thebracket 14. The end of the clamp 46 opposite the hooked end 48 issecured to the bracket 14 by a screw 50 threaded therethrough.

It will be apparent that the disclosed structure for mounting thethermal element 12 on the bracket 14 is capable of preventing axialmovement of the thermal element 12 without exerting'forces thereon whichmight tend to crush it. Furthermore, the means for mounting the thermalelement 12 herein disclosed provides for quick and easy removal orinstallation of such an element without the use of special tools andwithout disturbing an ad jacent pilot burner.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that theillustrated embodiment may be variously changed and modified or featuresthereof, singly or collectively, embodied in other combinations otherthan that illustrated without departing from the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claim.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

In a device for clamping a tubular member having a flange carriedthereon, in combination, a bracket having an aperture therein forreceiving said tubular member with one side of said bracket abutting oneface of said flange, a clamp having an aperture in the medial portionthereof for receiving said tubular member and abutting the other face ofsaid flange, said clamp having a hooked portion at one end thereofengageable with the other side of said bracket, and screw means disposedat the other end remote from the hooked end of said clamp for securingsaid clamp against said flange and urging said hooked end intoengagement with said other side of said bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,078,453 Miller Apr. 27, 1937 2,355,216 Guelson Aug. 8, 1944 2,519,827Duke Aug. 22, 1950 2,535,602 Ray Dec. 26, 1950 2,536,233 Sklarek Ian. 2,1951 2,544,930 Malek Mar. 13, 1951

